Large papermaking machines usually comprise a number of big-sized and unwieldy rolls which must be taken out of the machine at regular intervals and sent away for maintenance. During transport, the rolls must be adequately protected against damage from any external violence. Up to now, specially made wooden boxes have been used for protecting the rolls during transport. However, the disadvantages of these wooden boxes are considerable. They are expensive to manufacture because high demands are placed on the stability and strength of the box, int. al. because of the great weight and length of the rolls. A further factor increasing the cost is that the box must give full protection to the roll surface. Wooden boxes of this type must be regarded, in principle, as expendable packings because they are usually destroyed when the roll is unpacked. This means that the packaging cost for each transport may be on the same order as or higher than the actual transport cost of the roll. Furthermore, a wooden box is not easily handled because it may be difficult to attach the requisite lifting lugs in a manner sufficiently reliable for the great weight of the roll. It may also be difficult to insert the forks of a fork-lift truck or the like underneath the box.